Robin Morgan on Hillary Clinton (awww shit!)

Goodbye To All That (#2) by Robin Morgan

February 2, 2008

“Goodbye To All That” was my (in)famous 1970 essay breaking free from a politics of accommodation especially affecting women (for an online version, see http://blog.fair-use.org/category/chicago/).

During my decades in civil-rights, anti-war, and contemporary women’s movements, I’ve avoided writing another specific “Goodbye . . .” But not since the suffrage struggle have two communities—joint conscience-keepers of this country—been so set in competition, as the contest between Hillary Rodham Clinton (HRC) and Barack Obama (BO) unfurls. So.

Goodbye to the double standard . . .
—Hillary is too ballsy but too womanly, a Snow Maiden who’s emotional, and so much a politician as to be unfit for politics.
—She’s “ambitious” but he shows “fire in the belly.” (Ever had labor pains?)
—When a sexist idiot screamed “Iron my shirt!” at HRC, it was considered amusing; if a racist idiot shouted “Shine my shoes!” at BO, it would’ve inspired hours of airtime and pages of newsprint analyzing our national dishonor.
—Young political Kennedys—Kathleen, Kerry, and Bobby Jr.—all endorsed Hillary. Senator Ted, age 76, endorsed Obama. If the situation were reversed, pundits would snort “See? Ted and establishment types back her, but the forward-looking generation backs him.” (Personally, I’m unimpressed with Caroline’s longing for the Return of the Fathers. Unlike the rest of the world, Americans have short memories. Me, I still recall Marilyn Monroe’s suicide, and a dead girl named Mary Jo Kopechne in Chappaquiddick.)

FOR THE FULL ARTICLE: http://www.womensmediacenter.com/ex/020108.html

It was long so I cut it and am sending you to the link (since I've had it up in-full for awhile...)

girl votes for woman, feels good

i just voted for the first viable female presidential candidate ever. it was more “wow” than i expected, especially because i’m also thrilled at the prospect of obama. but personally, i had to vote hillary. and it’s not JUST because she’s a woman, because i would never vote for a republican female candidate (as if we’d ever see that anyway), but i support most of her policies and think backlash against her is like backlash against feminism—media constructed and then picked up by the masses without much critical thought or engagement. if you oppose her because of foreign policy issues, i “sort of” understand. if you think she’s a little flip-floppy, whatever. her voting record is relatively consistent (relative to politicians). her health plan makes sense. she has a withdrawal plan for the war. she has experience. she’s pro-choice. she’s feminist. AND she’s a woman.

if she wins, it will be a tougher road for the democrats, because sexism is still socially accepted. if obama wins, it will also be tough, but he generates more excitement and will increase liberal voting. thankfully, all the republicans suck (as usual), but mccain has draw and it looks like he’ll be the one to beat. maybe it’s the activist in me or maybe it’s because i just watched iron-jawed angels for the millionth time (i show it in my Intro to Women’s Studies classes every semester), but i know that if everyone votes, particularly young people, women, and minorities—we will not have to suffer another four years of Republican rule. whether progressive woman or progressive man—we need progress, we need change, and we really, really need a revolution. if you haven’t voted yet—go!! whether you plan to vote obama or clinton, you must vote. and if you plan to vote huckabee, we can't possibly be friends. sorry.

happy saturday

from Planned Parenthood's Wall of Protest

Planned Parenthood's Wall of Protest: http://www.wallofprotests.com/wall.php

Running the Numbers: An American Self-Portrait

A must-see!
"This new series looks at contemporary American culture through the austere lens of statistics. Each image portrays a specific quantity of something: fifteen million sheets of office paper (five minutes of paper use); 106,000 aluminum cans (thirty seconds of can consumption) and so on."
Link Here:
current work

Women are Never Front Runners by Gloria Steinem

You'll probably have to copy and paste the link, but it's a great article.

Op-Ed Contributor
Women Are Never Front-Runners
By GLORIA STEINEM
Published: January 8, 2008
Gender is probably the most restricting force in American life, whether the question is who must be in the kitchen or who could be in the White House.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/08/opinion/08steinem.html?ex=1357534800&en=9f6d8783ff1b15c9&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink

new years glitterati

new year’s eve/day was never my favorite holiday. perhaps because of the general chaos, sudden cover charges for free bars, heightened expectations, intensity of endings and beginnings, or that one underage year we gave some guy $40 to buy us booze and he never returned (go figure—what a busted new year’s that was). aside from the most incredible year when alison and dakota married (and liz and i reunited, sorta), it’s always been underwhelming—not worth the hangover or money.

this year i decided to revolve my new year celebration around family instead of madness, and skip the lost phone, wasted money, dangerous travel, and morning-after-“where am i?” confusion. i was with my lover, my family, and my family friends. i drank too much wine, danced it off, then passed out in my gold sequin dress.

my year still started with a hangover, but i was surrounded by people i love and people who love me and woke up at my sister’s to the best bloody marys and breakfast in town, followed by a good-luck dinner and beer. we played Rock Band all day (a la Guitar Hero fame—but with the whole band; i hope you’ve seen the Guitar Hero South Park); i’m a rockstar on guitar, a disgrace on the drums, and a funny joke on mike. but it was awesome.

and i love(d) new year’s.






thanks to my sister and brother-in-law for their stellar hosting skills and hospitality (xoxo).